AOL / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
ZDNET's key takeaways
Generation X says goodbye to the past.
Old technology can linger long after you thought it was dead and done.
AOL, once a technology giant, is now little more than a footnote.
For millions of people who first heard "You've got mail" over crackling phone lines, an iconic chapter in digital history is coming to a close. AOL, also known as America Online, has announced it will shut down its dial-up internet service on September 30, 2025, effectively retiring a technology that was once synonymous with getting online.
You've got mail
Even if you've never used it, AOL became synonymous with the early days of the popular internet, thanks to the rom-com "You've Got Mail," starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The movie was a cultural touchstone.
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AOL is the last of the services, such as CompuServe, GEnie, and Prodigy, which enabled people to go online before the Commercial Internet Exchange and the web started us on our way to the online experience we know today. AOL, however, unlike its rivals, embraced the internet rather than trying to fight it.
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